A Night to Remeber
by Zs1truluv
Summary: Mai and Zuko have a little chat after they left BaSingSe. After the finale. T


Mai lay on her side on the soft grass. It was strangely calm. There was a fire going behind her and the sky was filled with stars.

Lies. That's all she ever knew. Her whole life was a lie, her parents, her friends, everything. She didn't even know who she was. She was always lying to herself. She always told herself emotions were nothing but a distraction. She had let that saying ring in her head throughout her whole three years of her life since Zuko left. Mai had forgotten who she was. She had forgotten happiness, laughter, and love. However, she had always felt the same misery that life was going on outside the prison she lived in what she called her mask. This mask was the thing that hid everything. The only thing that would escape was a sigh or two. She would never let that strange smile, which she got whenever she heard Zuko's name, escape.

Now that Mai was free she didn't know what to do. There was a strange emotion lurking behind her porcelain mask. The emotion was an empty full feeling. She knew she was empty due to the fact she had lost everything she had ever known, but the full feeling confused her. There was no way she could be full. Mai's clothes were torn around her abdomen; her sleeves were torn off, one of her pant legs was torn off at her knee, she had taken her black over garment off, and her hair was down reaching across the ground. From where did this full feeling come? She had no goal. She had no friends. How did she become to be in the state she was.

As she pondered in her thoughts a blanket was laid over her.

"Mai, I know that you're scared, and hurt, and confused, but you're ok now." A voice too familiar to her said.

Mai closed her eyes and saw the scene. A man, a boy, and a flame, it was terrifying. The fire from the man's fist reaching down to the boy's face. The scream of a torn boy rang through the arena. He was torn both inside and out. His face was burnt along with his heart. His own father, how could he do this, to his own son?

Mai felt a tear stream down her face. He was foolish. It was his fault. There she was again, lying to herself. She had been told Zuko deserved his punishment. But, deep in her heart she knew that Zuko did the right thing and was wrongly punished. Who should Mai trust? Who should she turn to?

"I know it's hard to believe, but Azula isn't your friend. She never was. She's always said mean things about you after dinner back home. She hates you." Zuko said.

Mai continued to stare at the forest as if she didn't hear it, but she did. The words stung like knives. She didn't want to hear any of this. She especially didn't want to hear it from Zuko. She wished it was all another lie, but she knew it wasn't. He was the better one of the siblings. He would never lie to Mai. She wanted to trust Zuko. She knew that she should. But she didn't. Mai couldn't trust him. She didn't even know why. She loved him. Love is trust. She didn't have that. So did she really love him?

Another tear trickled down her cheek. Slowly, her mask was breaking. She side looked at Zuko. He was beginning to annoy her. He was so nice to her. Didn't he know that wasn't the way things worked for her? She was supposed to be the odd one out. Well, maybe he's nice to her because he's the odd one out too. Here Mai was thinking about herself and all the bad things she's gone through, and Zuko, the good person he is, was trying to comfort her. She let another tear escape as she thought of how sweet he had always been to her. When everyone forgot about her birthday Zuko was there with a wonderful present, just for her. When Mai was depressed, Zuko was always there for her. He would always find some way to make her laugh. She would always try to hide the smile from him but he would luckily catch it. Mai let a smile inch across her face.

"You know, Azula may hate you… but I don't. I think… you're the best friend I've ever had… I've… missed you."

Mai felt her heart stop and her face turn bright red. Her stomach twisted and turned, her knees grew weak, and butterflies flew around in her body. He missed her! Was he crazy? Why would he miss her? There was nothing great about her. What was there to miss? She was soon to find out.

"I missed you're ability to hide everything from everyone else and save it for me. I missed how you'd seem calm and collected when you were always a mess inside. I missed everything about you. But you know what I missed the most?"

Mai curled tighter into a ball.

"…Your smile."

Mai's eyes grew wide. He liked her smile?

"I don't know what would happen. You would smile and I… I don't know… I seemed happy to. Whenever you smiled I would get this weird feeling in my stomach. I don't know what it was. My mom was gone before I could ask her… And I never bothered to ask uncle because… well… he's uncle." He let out a little laugh.

His uncle had fallen asleep long ago. Mai smiled deeper and gripped tighter to the blanket.

"Good night Mai." Zuko stood up.

He was about to set out the fire when, "Wait." Mai said as she sat up and turned to him.

Zuko sat down on the ground and stared at her waiting for her to say something.

"Yes?" He asked with his pure amber eyes.

"I… I think I know why you feel weird when I smile." Mai said and looked away.

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"I… I think… you're in love. But, I don't know."

Zuko stared at her. "You think I'm in love?" he asked and to Mai's surprise smiled.

"Well… maybe… I don't know because… I don't know what love is either. I just… was told that when you're in love you feel weak."

Zuko's smile deepened. Mai saw the remarkable beauty in his eyes. He was truly the one she should trust.

"I… I trust you." Mai said.

Zuko stood and walked over to her. "That's good. I thought you would hate me forever and I would never know why."

Mai felt a tear begin to crawl down her cheek. She closed her eyes and tried to stop the tear but instead felt a hand on her face. She opened her glossy eyes to see Zuko's hand cupped around her face with his thumb on her cheek. He wiped away the tear.

Mai wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck, leaned on him and let the tears fall. Zuko's arms wrapped around her and he squeezed her tighter and his face buried into her hair and they sat there for about a minute until Mai separated from him.

He was staring at her and his smile had disappeared. They continued to stare at each other until their faces began to inch closer and closer. Their lips touched and they were happy.

They separated and stared at each other again. This time a smile crept its way onto Mai's face. Zuko's eyes widened and he stared at her as if she had just done something amazing.

"You're beautiful." He said and smiled.

The two continued to stare at each other until Zuko was getting tired. He stood up and walked over to the fire.

"Good night Mai." He said.

"Good night Zuko." Mai replied. She curled under her blanket and closed her eyes.

Zuko put the fire out, laid down, and fell asleep.

Mai touched her lips and smiled. 'He kissed me.' Mai thought. She nodded off to sleep with a smile on her face. 'Yes… I… trust him…'


End file.
